Filmmaker / musician Chris Alexander is the former editor-in-chief of Fangoria magazine, the co-founder/editor of Delirium magazine, and he wrote the book Corman/Poe. Now, he’s teaming with Headpress Publishing to send his new book Art! Trash! Terror!: Adventures in Strange Cinema out into the world. The book has a release date of March 15th (you can pre-order copies on Amazon at THIS LINK), but the launch event is set to take place at Dark Delicacies in Burbank, California and the Cinelounge Sunset theatre in Hollywood, California this weekend!

Art! Trash! Terror! has a page count of 460. The official description says it’s a treasure trove of in-depth essays and edifying interviews that celebrate some of the most eccentric and unforgettable movies in cult cinema history. From recognized classics (George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead, David Lynch’s The Elephant Man) to misunderstood masterpieces (Michael Mann’s The Keep, Boris Sagal’s The Omega Man) to unfairly maligned curios (Kostas Karagiannis’ Land of the Minotaur, Brett Leonard’s Hideaway), the author takes an alternately serious and playful but always personal look at several strains of international horror, dark fantasy, and exploitation film ― motion pictures that transform, transgress, challenge, infuriate, shock, and entertain. Connecting these passionate and critical essays are insightful interviews with revered talents, such as John Waters (writer/director, Cecil B. Demented), Michael Winner (director, The Sentinel), Nicolas Cage (actor, Vampire’s Kiss), Gene Simmons (co-founder/bassist, KISS), William Crain (director, Blacula), William Lustig (director, Maniac), Werner Herzog (director, Nosferatu: Phantom Der Nacht) and many more, as well as witty, heartfelt memoirs charting the author’s oddball experiences on the fringes of Hollywood and beyond. Illustrated with more than 200 startling photographs! You can check out the full table of contents at Headpress.com.

Special guests Joe Dante, Brett Leonard, Anna Biller, Richard Band, Andrew Divoff, and Jackie Kong will be joining Alexander for a signing event at Dark Delicacies at 3pm on Saturday, January 25th. Then, the action moves to to Cinelounge Sunset for the following screenings:

SATURDAY, JANUARY 25th

7pm – GRAVEYARD SHIFT (1990, w/actor Stephen Macht): Based on the grimy Stephen King short story (published in his iconic anthology book “Night Shift”), director Ralph S. Singleton’s atmospheric, filthy and frightening over-the-edge monster movie has been often maligned and dismissed by many, including the author himself. But how very, very wrong those naysayers are! Featuring hordes of blood-hungry rats, layers of greasy sleaze, a stunning subterranean creature and a pair of wild performances courtesy of Brad Dourif and Stephen Macht, GRAVEYARD SHIFT is ripe (in more ways than one) for a renaissance! Joining Alexander for the show will be Macht, who will dissect the picture and tell tales of bringing his fascist foreman to lurid life!

9pm – MANIAC (1980, w/director William Lustig): Taking its cues from TAXI DRIVER, “New Wave” psychodramas and Italian giallo films, director William Lustig’s unsparing New York-set slasher saga MANIAC needs no introduction – but Alexander and Lustig will give it just that, screening the film and then sitting down to speak about it, with each other and the audience. Lustig will be bringing the new 4K/7.1 surround sound version of the film, making this the “mother” of all MANIAC celebrations!

SUNDAY, JANUARY 26th

4pm – NECROPOLIS: LEGION (2020 w/actors Augie Duke and Ali Chappell): Chris Alexander’s first film for iconic exploitation film studio Full Moon is an ultra-low budget “spiritual sequel” to the riotous 1988 VHS rental favorite NECROPOLIS. Blending elements of that film, Mario Bava’s BLACK SUNDAY, Lucio Fulci’s THE BEYOND, the films of Jess Franco and Alexander’s own female-centric fever dreams, NECROPOLIS: LEGION (which features a moody score by RE-ANIMATOR’S Richard Band) tells the tale of vengeful, “mouth- breasted” vampire witch that rises from the grave to possess a too-curious writer who has moved into her house. Actors Augie Duke (TV’s MAYANS, MOON GARDEN) and Ali Chappell (GIRL WITH A STRAIGHT RAZOR) will introduce the movie along with some special surprise guest appearances!

7pm – RABID (1977, w/producer Don Carmody): Director David Cronenberg’s second shocker (made right after 1975’s SHIVERS) might just be his “purest” horror film – a cold, creepy tale of a modern-day “Typhoid Mary” plague carrier named Rose (played by porn star Marilyn Chambers) who marauds around Montreal sucking blood through a penis in her armpit and leaving a horde of psychotic zombies in her wake. With eerie “scratch score” music, bright red gore, a sympathetic central turn and endless mad science and mayhem, RABID is a Canadian horror masterpiece. Joining Alexander at the show will be veteran producer Don Carmody, who not only also produced SHIVERS but is one of the founding fathers of the Canadian exploitation film.

9pm – NIGHT PATROL (1984, w/director Jackie Kong): From the madwoman who made the deranged H.G. Lewis homage BLOOD DINER comes this even more maniacal comedy, a masterclass in bad taste and bizarre, near-surrealist transgressive filmmaking. From its first frames, this hilarious and vulgar sister to POLICE ADADEMY defies you to like it, as Kong and company cheerfully break every taboo that comes their way. Also starring THE EXORCIST’s Linda Blair and LEGEND’s Billy Barty among other oddball talents, NIGHT PATROL stands alone! Queen Kong herself will come to the show to speak about her mother of all dirty joke joints and take questions from the no-doubt dumbfounded audiences.

Art! Trash! Terror!: Adventures in Strange Cinema sounds like a very interesting book, and it looks like these launch weekend events are going to be a blast.

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